JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF POLITICS AND
RELIGION
(Matthew 22:15-21)
In the Gospel reading of today,
the Pharisees took counsel on how to entangle Jesus in his talk. Those they
sent to Jesus asked him questions, but they were deceptive questions packaged
with flattery.
BEWARE OF FLATTEREY
Sugar-coated words should be
taken with carefulness. The Pharisees came to Jesus calling him teacher,
calling him the true one, who fears no man when speaking the mind of God. There
are empty flatteries in all works of life intended to ruin, deceive and
destroy. We have got to beware of these persons. We have got to take the same
stand with Jesus and see beyond the words being expressed to feel the heart.
Flattery has done a lot of harm
to our politics. It has done us no good in religion. It is indeed pharisaic.
The same flatterers who came to Jesus calling him good will also go to Caesar
and call him good. They have one thing in the mouth and another in their heart.
But if Jesus or Caesar is good, and they mean it when they say it, it would
have been something positive. But they say what they don't mean.
They are the problems we have in
the politics of today. They are the problems we are facing in our religion too.
They campaign for an unqualified
candidate for money, position and fame. They disqualify the qualified for fear
of putting an end to their corrupt practices or because of immediate
gratification.
They see the evil of the
incumbent government and praise it. They canonize bad leaders. They encourage
oppression, they promote recklessness. They downplay immorality. They excuse
away the embezzlement and manipulations in the society. They tell you that you
are doing well even when you know how bad you are. Think before you act in
their sight. In religion, these Pharisees, after taking counsels, make you feel
that they love the church, they love your ministry, and they love God. They may
do that through donations, they may do it by poverty alleviation with ulterior
motive. They raise you high to fall from there. Hence, they put the Church and
her ministries in tight corners such as scandals of money, sex, or conscience
imprisonment. They present the dilemmas.
GIVE TO CAESAR. GIVE TO GOD
After their flattery they opened
their package of rehearsed question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or
not? Even though Jesus realized that this was a malicious question, he used it
as an opportunity to teach, correct an impression and bring about a marriage of
politics and religion. He did not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but replied after looking
at the coin with Caesar's inscription: Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s , and to God the things that are God’s.
Some have erroneously interpreted this to be
living life of double standard, being worldly in the bad sense and also
religious, being good in the Church and bad outside.
It is rather being human and
being holy. It is living in the city of God even while still in the city of
men.
Jesus is saying give it to Caesar
if it is his right. Give it to Caesar if he deserves; give it to Caesar if he
worked for it; give it to Caesar if he is working with it. Give him the
respect. Respect the laws he makes if they are human laws flowing from divine
and positive laws. Respect and give it to him if he cares for your health with
it, your safety, good roads, and other amenities. Render him the honour if he
has merited it by respecting the rule of law and the different rights given to
humans by God. Give him the honour if he understands that he is a servant, a
minster at the service of the public. Give it to him if he pays salaries and
gratuities with it.
Why won’t you, why won’t I, why
won’t we render to Africa, Nigeria and our various states the honour due to
them if they are doing well?
Let Us Pray
Dear Lord and Father you have
shown us the important position you occupy in our lives as political and
religious beings. We pray that our politics may not lead us away from you. We
pray that our politicking may provide us with the necessary conditions we need
to live happily and worship you in Spirit and truth. May we live mature and
balanced social, political, religious and spiritual life, though Christ our
Lord. Amen
Happy Sunday
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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